Particle flux, and composition of sedimenting matter, in the Greenland Sea

Vertical flux of particulate material was recorded with moored sediment traps during 1988/1989 in the Greenland Sea at 72 degrees N, 10 degrees W. This region exhibits pronounced seasonal variability in ice cover. Annual fluxes at 500 m water depth were 22.79, 8.55, 2.39, 3.81 and 0.51 g m(-2) for total flux (dry weight), carbonate, particulate biogenic silicate, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen, respectively. Fluxes increased in April, maximum rates of all compounds occurred in May-June, and consistently high total flux rates of around 100 mg m(-2)d(-1) prevailed during the summer. The increasing flux of biogenic particles measured in April is indicative of an early onset of algal growth in spring. Small pennate diatoms dominated in the trap collections during April, and were still numerous during the high flux period when Thalassiosira species were the most abundant diatoms. During May-June, up to 22% of the Thalassiosira cells collected were viable-looking cells. The faecal pellet flux increased after the May-June event. Therefore we conclude that the diatoms settled as phytodetritus, most likely in rapidly sinking aggregates. From seasonal nutrient profiles it is concluded that diatoms contribute 25% to new production during spring and 50% on an annual basis. More than 50% of newly produced silicate particles are dissolved above the 500 m horizon. High new production during spring does not lead to a pronounced sedimentation pulse of organic matter during spring but elavated vertical export is observed during the entire growth perio

Abundance, encystment and sedimentation of acantharia during Autumn in the East Greenland Sea

The abundance and sedimentation of acantharia and their cysts was recorded in the water column and sediment traps in the East Greenland Sea in August-September 1990. Although acantharia constituted <1% of total suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) in the water column, up to 90% (average 55%) of the POC sedimenting in 100 m was present in the form of acantharian cysts during a 9 day drift experiment. Rapid dissolution of strontium sulphate, of which their shells and spines are constructed, was evidenced by their disappearance with depth in the water column, maximum dissolution occurring between 500 and 1000 m water depth. Mass encystment and sedimentation of this single group of sarcodine protozoa can have dramatic effects on, the measurement of particulate fluxes in the open ocean, and may be a recurrent phenomenon in the eastern North Atlantic

Submesoscale physicochemical dynamics directly shape bacterioplankton community structure in space and time

Submesoscale eddies and fronts are important components of oceanic mixing and energy fluxes. These phenomena occur in the surface ocean for a period of several days, on scales between a few hundred meters and few tens of kilometers. Remote sensing and modeling suggest that eddies and fronts may influence marine ecosystem dynamics, but their limited temporal and spatial scales make them challenging for observation and in situ sampling. Here, the study of a submesoscale filament in summerly Arctic waters (depth 0–400 m) revealed enhanced mixing of Polar and Atlantic water masses, resulting in a ca. 4 km wide and ca. 50 km long filament with distinct physical and biogeochemical characteristics. Compared to the surrounding waters, the filament was characterized by a distinct phytoplankton bloom, associated with depleted inorganic nutrients, elevated chlorophyll a concentrations, as well as twofold higher phyto- and bacterioplankton cell abundances. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of bacterioplankton communities revealed enrichment of typical phytoplankton bloom-associated taxonomic groups (e.g., Flavobacteriales) inside the filament. Furthermore, linked to the strong water subduction, the vertical export of organic matter to 400 m depth inside the filament was twofold higher compared to the surrounding waters. Altogether, our results show that physical submesoscale mixing can shape distinct biogeochemical conditions and microbial communities within a few kilometers of the ocean. Hence, the role of submesoscale features in polar waters for surface ocean biodiversity and biogeochemical processes need further investigation, especially with regard to the fate of sea ice in the warming Arctic Ocean

Science and Integrated Coastal Management

xv,378 hlm.;24 c

New production of phytoplankton and sedimentation during summer 1985 in the south eastern Weddell Sea

Abstract - 1. Distribution of phytoplankton biomass was controlled by physical factors during Jan/Feb 1985 in the southeastern Weddell Sea. Microplankton mostly dominated phytoplankton biomass. Protozooplankton corresponded to 10-25% of autotroph biomass. 2. Nitrate decrease during the investigations was converted to new production of 11 and 13 gC m-2 for coastal and oceanic waters, respectively. Total measured production was in the same range. 3. Seasonal nitrate depletion was comparable to that in many mid-latitude environmaenst, and was equivalent to new production of 26 and 33 gC m-2 for coastal and oceanic waters. 4. It is suggested that new production is high during brief periods, when biomass accumulation is enhanced by transient reduction of vertical mixing. 5. Sedimentation of organic matter amounted to 2.4 gC m-2 for the investigation period and was dominated by zooplankton faeces. 6. Trap collections probably underestimated vertical flux. 7. Sampling strategies in relation to time-space scales of pelagic processes are discussed